Automatic electric hand signal



y H. MARCIN 1,860,109

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC HAND SIGNAL Filed Sept. 13, 192 2 Sheets-sheaf. 1

. INVENTOR. flak/z Marci/z May 24, 1932. I M N 1,860,109

' AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC HAND SI-GNAL Fil'ed Sept. 13, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIIIIIIIIJIIMIIIIIMIIIHIIIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIlIllllNllmlllllllllflllllllmlllmiIllllllllllllHIIIIIHIIIHIIIL INVENTOR. HelenMarci/0 ATTORNEY Patented May 24,1932

I ams Mancin owew oma. Y,

ivmomlmmeincmr HAND sienAL Applicatioh'filed September 1a, 192aSeria1:No. 219-,2l1

This invention relates to hand-actuated,

' electrically illuminated Vehicle signals by which anoperatoris enabledto indicate the direetion in which it is proposed to turn the :6vehieler U i I The present hazardous and disagreeable practice oisignalling by extending the "handis regarded absurd and asinefiioientfor the reason that the operator must. rel'easepne hand from: thesteering gear ot the vehicle, and forthe further reason that a personshand-extended in the dark cannot readilybe' It is-therefore, one of heobjects. of the present inventionto provide a signal which may beextended at will, from either side oi the Vehiele,- without" discomfortonthe' partof the operator and whieh-willi show the proposed turningdirection oi theoperator.

Ar further feature is in! the provision of 1 means for illuminatingthesignal, the signal beinggmadein representation of ahandand so seeured tothe-side of the; vehicle as to be inconspiouous-iwhenfnot extended. 1 Vl The inventioniurther resides in the novel design, construction; andoombinationaoi parts as hereina-iter' described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming-a material part ofthis disclosn re andwhich Figure 1 is a side elevational view ofga conventionaltype ofautomobile, illustrating an application oftheinventi'on,

i I View of'the Figure 2 1s a rear elevation same. m

Figure 33s a transversesectional view tak en.on'lined-31of'FigurelQarranged. for foot'control. a V

F'gureQfi isa plan viewof thev signahthe ,c oyer being? remo zed and theeleetrical con; 9 nections showntherein. r A e 116: where: they'pass;througha double loop Figured is a sid vlewof the stop. device'asf 735;;following the post downwmdly V I Figure Gisan end elevational View ofthe same. 5 Figure 7 is, an enlarged fragmentary secs tional View of theelectrical;connectionsv -and j pivotal signal. support. 1f I x Figure 8-is a; transversesectional View of V the supportingmeans. Figure 9' is apartial diagrammatical partial sectional View; illustrating thewmanualmeans: for controllingfithe direction-signal. Figure. 10.:isl a Viewindicating the connectionfof the, control means to the steering-memberoflthevehiele. V

' Figure 1].- .is.a fragmentary sectional View a showing the adjustable:friction clamp by. Which, directionfsignal is held in-Lanadjustediplositionr H I Referring in greater detail to the draW-. ngs,.the numeral 1 5 designates: generally a steering wheel of a vehicleofthe automobile I type, thesamebeing mounted on afipost j 7 usuallyoftubular cross-sections Clamp-ed: to the post .16 b'eliow'the steering,wheeler-1d: extending toward; the outer periphery tliereof is a barprovided at its outer extremity with an arcuate cross-piece IShaVing a.pair of slots 19 and 20, in which are slidable bl0oks 21 and22 extendingabove and. below the elementa18J V a V i Threaded inmate member 17 is apivot rodfifil'on'fwhich is rotatably mounted anarm 24 extendingintermediate the blocks 21- and 1 havingahandle 25 on itsouterend beyondthe wheel: 15, there being a .metal washer 26 intermediate the arm. 24;;andbar l7, and a leather" Washer: 2? above the ar1n,' hel d'in place; byanother iwasher- 28 pressedl down-' awardly by-'a eoii' spring 29abutting a 30 on the upper end of the rod 231. r V a Apairf ost cords:31 and 32"are respeetively secnred-attheir ends to the blocks 2121110122, below the member 183fromwhere theypass through a: pair ofloop, eyes eeanaai. and are then directed inwardly toward. the postthrougha similar loopjeye. 35 j Y a a 'llie cords; their pass *thmagadouble guide 3.6fi xed to the underside ofthe .hoodZ-B'T oi theyehicle,fron1 which point they nae.

a so

tors 64.

part, to the left and right respectively, to

extend transversely across the hood,.enter- :ing compartments 38 formedin a pair of tubes 39 and 40 extending outwardly from the sides of thevehicle body and the ends of which terminate in dependingflat strips 41provided with pads 42 at their lower extremities,'covers v43 at the top,and partial side walls 44. 1

- The walls 44 areprovided with hollow pivots 45 on which are rotatablymounted, intermediate'the walls, a pair of casings 46 and 47, leftand'right respectively, the casings being in the form of a handandhaving frame'members 47 receptive of colored convexiglasses 48 onboth sides of the hand, the cords31 and 32 -being fixed to the innerends of the handcasings at 49, above the pivot point 7 Fixed to thelower walls of the hands are insulating bars 50. from which extend apair of support contacts 51 and 52 in which are mounted colored electricbulbs 53, the contacts 52 being'connected by wires 54 to a strip contact55 fixed at the base of the'first finger and disposed in the path of thethumb, the same being engageable, when the hand is in operativeposition, with contact strips 56 carrying weights 57 on their outer endsand being pivoted at 58 to insulators 59 secured to the thumb, the lastmentioned contacts and the contacts 51 being'connected by wires 60 and61 ,respectively passing through one of the hollow pivots 45 backintermediate the walls 44 through an opening 62, and

through a second compartment63 in the tubes 39 -40 to a source ofcurrentsupply.

1, l/Vhen the hands are in downward positions, resting on the pads 42,the contacts 56 will rest'agains't the inside'ot. the thumbs and topreventshort circuits; the points at which'they rest are provided withinsula- Thus, if the driver of the vehicle intends to turn to therightor the left, the arm 24 is 7 moved in one of the directionsindicated in Figure 9 so as to slide either of the blocks 21 or 22.Such'movement will obviously .pull on the cords 31 or 32 to extend thehands at an angle of 45 degrees to indicate a-left or right turn, suchmovement causing the con- .tacts56 to engage the contact 55,- closingthe electrical circuit to illuminate the bulb 53 of the extended hand.

. Secured on the underside of the dashboard .65 is a pair of lugs 66 inwhichis pivotally mounteda. semi-circular lever 67, its upperendbeingnormally urged toward the dashboard by the action ofa coilspring 68., l

Fixed to the upper part of the bar 67 is one end of a cord 69, theopposite extremity of which is fixed to a lug .70'for1ned onja' clamp7-1 engageable on the pivot bar 72 of the clutch pedal .73, and fixed tothe opposite end of the barg'67is a pair of cords 74 passing through adouble loop eye 7 5 on the undersurface of the hood 37 of the vehicle,from which point the cords extend in a similar 39 and 40 to be fixed tothe inner end of each of the hands 46 and 47. I

It will be thus seen that by depressing the clutch pedal 73, the upperend of the bar 67 will be pulled downwardly, which motion,

through the cords 74, will cause the hands 46 and 47 to besimultaneously.extended outmentswith considerable detail and with respect to certain-particular forms of my inventlon I do not desire to belimitedto such detailssince many changes and modifications may well bemade'without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention in itsbroadest aspect. I a I Having thus described my invention, what I claimas absolutely new and-desire to securev by Letters Patent, is

l. A directional signal deviceformotor vehicles, comprising a'guide barfor attachment on the steering postof a vehicle and having a slot, ablock slidably mounted in the slot, a signal mounted on'the vehicle,said signal havingthe appearance: of a human hand, a flexible connectionbetween saidsignal and said block for raising the signal upon movingsaid block in one direction, a handle pivotally mounted on said guidebar and extending adjacent said block to move the block for raising saidsignal, and meansfor ad justing the friction at the pivot 'otsaid handlefor'causing the handle to hold the block is maintainedfin fully orpartially raised-positions or forcausingthehandle to move as directed bythe block underv the influence of the signal seeking its normal'downwardposition.

2. A directionalfsignal'device :for motor vehicles, comprisinga guidebar for attachment on the steering postlof a vehicle and inanner to thecords 31 and 32 and pass through a third compartment 76 in thetubes inany position in the slotso that the signal having a'slot, a blockslidably mounted in the slot, a hand shaped signal mounted on thevehicle, a flexible connection between said signal and said block forraising the signal upon moving said block in one direction, a-

handle pivotally mounted on said guide bar and extending adjacentsaid'block to move the block for raising said signal, means for adjusting thefriction at the pivot of said handle for causing the handleto hold theblock in any position in the slot sothat the signal is maintained infully or partially raised positions or for causing the handle to move asdirected by the block under the influence of the signal seeking itsnormal down- Y ward position, comprising a pivot rod pro jecting fromsaid guide bar through said handle constituting the pivotal mounting ofthe handle, a friction washer on said rod and against said handle, andmeans for urging said friction washer under adjustable pres- I suresagainstsaid handle.

'3. Adirectional signal device for motor vehicles, comprising a guidebar for attachment on the steering post of a vehicle and having a slot,a block slida'bly mounted in the slot, a signal mounted on the vehicle,a

flexible'connection between said signal and r 7 said block for raisingthe signal upon moving said block in one direction, a handle pivotallymounted on said guide bar and extending adj acent' said block to movethe block for raising said signal, means for adjusting the friction atthe pivot of said handle for causing the handle to hold the block in anyposition in the slot so that the signal is maintained in fully orpartially raised positions or for causing the handle to move as directedby the block under. the influence of the signal seeking its normaldownward position, com-

